In Potsdam students can explore the complexities of Absolutism. Dr. Helmut Franz leads a day-long tour of the city as he explains the history of the city and what prompted the construction of the Dutch and Russian quarters. We have a break in the city center, then continue with a tour of the summer palace of Frederick the Great in Sanssouci. The extensive grounds surrounding the Neues Palais, complete with the fabricated ruins obligatory to the nineteenth century Romantic mind, provided shady corners and open meadows for relaxing and recreation. Students often return on their own to Potsdam to explore the unique assemblage of palaces and grounds, as well as the Film Museum, university, and downtown shopping district.